One of five pilot whales released into the sea on Sunday afternoon has has re-beached.

Local John Church, who has lived in the area for 26 years, says he saw the whale at sunrise, about 500 metres off shore.

"It is very exciting for us. When we were first moved to Ballito there were no whales for many years and then about 1992,1994 there was a moratorium and we started seeing, in drips and drabs, one or two every couple of years.

"About the last five or six years we get groups of up to 12 southern right and humpback whales. This is the earliest we've ever seen towards the end of May, early June they normally start coming through," he said.